catalog text
"HINDU INCENSE BURNER" (1920) BRONZE SCULPTURE BY MALVINA HOFFMAN (AMERICAN, 1885-1966)
Patinated and parcel gilt bronze, signed "Malvina Hoffman (c)", foundry mark for Cellini Bronze Works, N.Y. to underside
Item # 105NRP14W
Completed in 1920, Malvina Hoffman's Hindu Incense Burner was modeled by dancer Serge Oukrainsky. He was one of the dancers in the troupe of Anna Pavlova, a renowned dancer that Hoffman met in 1914 while studying ballerina and dance in depth. It depicts the young man seated in exotic garment while holding a bowl filled with incense in his lap and is situated over a demilune base raised on the backs of three elephants. It was one of the works included in Hoffman's very first one-woman exhibition in May of 1921 at the Ferargil Galleries. The model was cast both by Cellini Bronze Works of New York and Roman Bronze Works of New York.
The present cast was executed by Cellini and features a complex surface ranging from a very dark brown through to a ruby red, this augmented with gilt highlights in the relief. The quality of casting is superb.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Rediscoveries in American Sculpture: Studio Works 1893-1939, Conner & Rosenkranz, University of Texas Press, 1989, p. 56
Measurements: 11" H x 6" D x 9 3/4" W
Condition Report:
Fine original condition; trace wear to gilding throughout; minor handling wear to patina, including between his shoulders, trace wear to the elephants, very minor wear to his throat/chin/nose; cleaned, polished and sealed in wax, a very fine presentation.